The decline in the development of mathematical skills in students prior to university entrance has been a matter of concern to UK higher education staff for a number of years. This article describes a pilot study that uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process to quantify the mathematical experiences of computing students prior to the start of a first…

This paper explores a relatively new area in the design and development of assessment procedures for the evaluation of coursework and student performance on computer and video games degrees. Emphasis is placed on an assessment which involves the development of and interaction in a virtual world, where lecturers and students are represented as…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on a study into how a three-dimensional (3D) virtual world (Second Life) can facilitate socialisation and team working among students working on a team project at a distance. This models the situation in many commercial sectors where work is increasingly being conducted across time zones and between…

The development of on-line research practice across international boundaries is now a viable proposition using available asynchronous technologies such as computer conferencing. As has been reported in previous papers (Grodzinsky, et al, 2002; Griffin, et al, 2002) such use has proved to be extremely valuable for supporting the teaching of…

This article, directed at teachers concerned with computer science courses at sixth-form level with no prior knowledge of microprocessors, provides a basic introduction, and describes possible applications of a microprocessor development system as a teaching aid in computer sciences courses in UK secondary school. (Author/RAO)

Reviews the use of computers in Great Britain's educational system, and discusses the development of computer science education, computer assisted instruction, standardization of software and hardware, computer awareness, computers in school administration and teacher training, and future trends for educational computing. (RAO)

Background: Universities have a vested interest in attracting and encouraging enrolment of as many high calibre students as possible. With greater frequency, universities are using marketing techniques to do so. Aims: The study reviewed current student opinions of a programme within a UK university to discover its shortcomings and strengths.…

Reveals some drawbacks to computer studies in the primary and secondary learning environment in the United Kingdom. Addresses: (1) technical support; (2) low use of computer assisted learning in other subjects; (3) low enrollment of females in computer education classes; and (4) low enrollments in science education at the higher education level…

Describes biographical/life story methods used to explore the underrepresentation of women in computing courses in the United Kingdom. Explains how interviews were structured and conducted and illustrates the method of transcription used. (SK)

A partnership between British Telecommunications (BT) and the Communication Workers Union resulted in a part-time bachelor's degree program for BT employees. The union played a key role in establishing the credibility of the program. Concerns included employee access to the program and manager resistance. The need to sustain workplace learning…

This paper presents the results of a 3-year quasi-experimental study of three Masters courses in computing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which the teaching and learning of these courses were enhanced by being developed and delivered in an online format as compared to face-to-face full-time and part-time delivery. Key…

Group projects in computer science are normally delivered with reference to good software engineering practice. The discipline of software engineering is rapidly evolving, and the application of the latest 'agile techniques' to group projects causes a potential conflict with constraints imposed by regulating bodies on the computer science…

This paper focuses on the difficulties of assessing multi-year team projects, in which a team of students drawn from all three years of a full-time degree course works on a problem with and for a real-life organization. Although potential solutions to the problem of assessing team projects may be context-dependent, we believe that discussing these…

This paper explores what students taking an international project-based course in computer systems strive to learn. Through empirical, phenomenographic work we have identified three different motives that the students strive for: academic achievement; project and team working capacity; and social competence. What a student strives to learn largely…

The current study was conducted in an effort to examine whether increased levels of communication using visual learning environments (VLEs) alters student perceptions of lecturers. Eighty-six MSc students in Computing Science participated by using She and Fisher's (2002) Teacher Communication Behavior Questionnaire (TCBQ). In addition to using the…